A dark day at McKinley
by A drop of water
Summary: School shooting. When a shooter targets the students of McKinley Rachel is still inside and it's Quinns job to save her. I'm really not good with summaries.. Sorry.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N so let me know if you want more? and ill start on the next chapter straight away. It's kind of late so if I've made any mistakes it's due to tiredness so I apologise in advance. I'm planning on making the next chapters longer. **

Rachel stood at her locker humming quietly to herself, taking the needed books out for her next lesson when she felt a tap on her shoulder. she spun around instinctively, signature smile in place but was met with the ice cold slap she knew all to well. She hasn't seen this one coming so her eyes of course were open. To say it stung was an understatement. As always the hallway erupted in boisterous laughter and she felt tears escape her eyes leaving a hot trail through the ice as they cascaded down her cheeks, she wasn't sure if they were tears of embarrassment or from the corn syrup, that could be mistaken for acid, still burning her eyes. She felt her perpetrator move in closer until she could feel there hot breath on her ear and the sweet smell of perfume engulf her senses, her eyes were screwed shut in a failed attempt to soothe the pain, but she still knew who it was. Just the presence of this person made her stomach tingle.

"Do the world a favour and get sterilised, treasure trail."

It was merely a whisper void of emotion but the words stung more than the ice in her eyes, which she was almost certain was slowly blinding her the longer she left it. She hated that she had feelings for Quinn the girl who constantly tormented her, humiliating her on a daily basis. At first she pushed it down thinking it was just a crush that it would pass, so naive.

She stood there as Quinn left leaving only the lingering scent of her sweet perfume in the air, the ice had surely soaked through her underwear by now and was probably going to dye her skin, but still she stood still there, there wasn't much she could really do what with her lack of sight. She felt so helpless as the mocking laughter continued. Until a hand gently grasped her arm she stiffened thinking Quinn was back for another round but this was not Quinn, whoever this was did not smell like jasmine and a slight hint of vanilla. They smelled faintly of lavender. She didn't know weather to be scared by the fact a stranger was taking her somewhere while she was temporarily blinded, but ultimately decided no one could be worse than Quinn and this person was leading her away from the very much public hallway so she decided to be thankful. She hadn't realised they'd stopped until a voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Here, hold still." The feminine voice said softly. Rachel immediately recognised that voice.

"Tina?" She asked just to make sure, as the other girl gently wiped her eyes with a wet paper towel.

"Yeah?" Rachel heaved a sigh of relife at finally a having someone familiar who she knew had only good intentions, so she didn't have to brace herself for anymore public humiliation.

"Just.. Just thank you."

"It's fine, I know what it's like. But Rachel I'm only going to be able to get the ice of your face, you'll have to use the gym showers for the rest." She explained throwing the used paper towel in the trash can. " you can open your eyes now."

Rachel did as she was told, slowly. They still burned like crazy and her vision was blurred slightly but at least she wasn't blind. "Thank you Tina, again."

"It's fine Rachel, but I've really got to get to class, will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine." She smiled. With that Tina left and Rachel made her way to the

gym showers.

* * *

Quinn sat in class thinking about Rachel and though she would never admit it to anyone, the tiny diva seemed to take up most of her thoughts lately. She had admitted to her self a while ago that she may harbour certain feelings towards the other girl but she refused to accept it. She had thought it was a phase she'd even read up about it, some girls get confused especially around her age some even..experiment, and that in a few weeks she'll grow out of it. She waited. But the thoughts continued and even intensified to a degree, she had tried so _so hard_ to make it go away, she had prayed morning and night even going as low as letting finn touch her under the shirt until she realised it wasn't going away. The day she realised that she cried herself to sleep for weeks on end even during the day when alone however when in company became an even colder, closed of bitch than before. So now she torments the girl because this is her fault she's like this in the first place! And though it _kills_ her each day she puts on a brave face because deserves it, it's gods way of punishing her after all. She sighed looking at the clock 40 more minutes of Mr Higgs droning on about some dead person no one really cared about. groaning she placed her head on the cool wooden surface of her desk intending to catch up on some much needed sleep. Her eyes fluttered closed to there own accord and that's when she heard it, when everybody heard it. A gun shot. At first every one froze in different states of shock. Silence. Then it happened again followed by a scream. Cue chaos. Everyone threw themselves out there chair Quinn included sprinting towards the door some kid even jumped out the window, luckily they were on the first floor. They all ran for the nearest exit eager to get the hell out of the school.

* * *

Rachel was in the shower when it happened. She hadn't had shampoo or conditioner with her so she would have to just rinse and hope for the best. She was lost in her thoughts mainly about a certain blonde when the gun fired, so when it happened she first thought she had misheard, because there is no way that was an actual gun shot, those things only happened on t.v...Right? But when the second one rang out closely followed by an ear piercing scream her stomach bottomed. She froze listening to the cries of her fellow classmates as they ran past the changing room door. someone had a gun. She'd read about this, of course she had but she never thought it would actually happen to her. Not in boring old Lima. She was terrified too scared to even appreciate the drama of the situation. With shaky hands she grabbed the towel of the cubical door and tried to dry herself quick as possible, her clothes stuck to her uncomfortably since she was only half dry. She looked around the empty locker room the sounds of her classmates got further away until nothing. Silence. _What now?_

Quinn stood outside packed tightly in the crowd of McKinley students as teachers scowling each time someone knocked into her which was _a lot._ She was currently shoved up against some gothic boy who smelled suspiciously of pot and red bull? and that weird vampire girl that used to fake stutter, as the teachers tried to gain some control and tick of people's names Of the list.

She heard her name being shouted and answered distractedly all the while searching for a certain brunette, she couldn't see her. She told her self it was because she was small so easily lost in a crowd but her gut told her otherwise as did the uncomfertable feeling in her stomach.

"Rachel berry?" Her head snapped to the balding teacher at the front who called out the name, he frowned when there was no response.

"Quite down! Is Rachel Berry present?" The front of the crowd quietened and people's heads looked around slowly for the petite brunette. No sign.

"oh no." It was quite a bearly there whisper un heard by everyone else but since Quinn was basically pressed up against the girl she heard it. Her head whipped to the Asian girl who was a shade paler than usual.

"Do you know something?" Quinn asked not caring how desperate she sounded. The Asians eyes widened.

"W-well, I-I-I.." Quinn was never know for her patience.

"We all know your stutter was fake Asian! So if you know something speak up or I swear to god I will make you life a living hell!" She knew it wasn't one of her best threats but it seemed to work as she watched the girl visibly gulp in front of her or that could've been because Quinn now had hold of her by the front of her shirt, _when did that happen?_

"S-she was i-in the bathroom. S-slushied, she had to use t-the s-s-showers. T-that's all I know." She choked out. Quinn let go of her shirt as her heart all but stopped beating. She clenched her jaw swallowing thickly in weak attempt to keep down the bile rising in her throat. _This was all her fault_. She hadn't even processed what was happening as her feet sprinted back in the direction of the school, she heard someone shout her name behind her but everything was blurred background noise. she slipped around the back of the building looking for the nearest entrance. Finding it she heaving herself up and in through the window with ease, _thank god for cheerio training_. she vaguely recognised the window as the one that boy threw himself out of. So that would make this her history class. She stood up closing the window behind her quietly with only one thought on her mind. Get to Rachel.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N so here is the next chapter hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think?

* * *

Rachel sat on the bench In front of the rows of lockers trying to calm her breathing she hadn't heard a sound in a good few minutes, the school had obviously been evacuated. That thought made her squirm thinking she was alone in an empty building with a crazed killer. Ok this was not helping calm her breathing. she needed a plan. she couldn't just stay here until she was found, she needed to leave, but she new if the gun-man/gun-women was smart they'd make sure all exits were closed. How she hoped they weren't smart. She listened carefully for a few moments before cautiously standing up, she was so glad she had to change into sneakers after the slushy attack, clicky shoes would not have helped at all in this situation. She looked around instinctively, even though she knew she was alone, before taking a tentative step forward,then another and another and before she knew it she was standing in front of the tall wooden door hand hovering over the handle.

"You can do this." She told her self just above a whisper. And after hearing no movement on the other side, she slowly pulled down the Handel and opened the door.

* * *

Quinn's first thought as she stood there alone in the classroom was how eerily quite it was, she didn't know what she had expected but the silence made her nervous. _Well rather silence than gunshots _she thought morbidly. She looked around the classroom it was a mess; chairs tipped over, some tables flipped and books and paper littered the floor. She tiptoed around the objects as quietly as she could, wanting to find Rachel and get out of here a soon as possible. Rachel. _Was she even alive?_ so far there had only been two shots fired and she prayed Rachel wasn't on the receiving end.

Finally, she reached the door which was already open and stepped out to the hallway looking up and down. Clear. _Now where did Asian say Rachel was? Something about Showers?... Right the gym showers!_ Before she could control herself she let her mind wander to Rachel in the shower, and oh god... so hot and..wet. She blushed at her sinful thoughts. _Concentrate Quinn!_ she scolded herself then started walking in what she hoped was the way to the gym showers, she hadn't ever used them since sue demanded cheerleaders use the Cheerios 'special' showers only.

* * *

Rachel was in the hallway now, feeling vulnerable and oddly exposed seeing there was no place for cover if she was found, just rows and rows of shiny, metal lockers. But were would she go, wherever she went she could easily turn the corner and come face to face with the owner of the gun, her heart started to race and her breathing picked up. _No, no she wouldn't think like that it wouldn't do her any good. And neither would standing in the middle of the hallway in plain view basically waiting to be shot at._ With that thought in mind she took of in the direction she prayed wouldn't lead her to her death.

She'd never been in the school when it was this empty, this quite. Sure she'd had her extracurricular activities after school had finished but there was always students still milling about And she wanted to get home as quickly as she could incase and jocks/cheerios saw her.

She let her mind wander as it pleased, any form of distraction was welcome, as she walked slowly down the hallway her left side almost grazing the cold lockers. She wasn't even looking where she was going, that is until she slipped and went falling on her ass. _Hard_. She bit her lip to hold back a scream her hands flailing about in reflex to grab hold of something, but untimely failing.

"_Fuck_." She hissed screwing her eyes shut, she was pretty sure she'd just bruised her coccyx.

She put her hands underneath her intent on pushing her self up but when her hands touched floor it was _wet_? Come to think about it she was sitting in something wet. "What the-?" She looked down turning her hand over, dark red liquid dripping onto her jean clad legs. It took her a minute to register what she was seeing. Then she put it together. Red. Gun shots... Blood?

"Oh my god. "

she was going to be sick, her stomach churned uncomfortably. _Was she- was she sitting in someone's blood?_ She had never been so glad for not having a gag reflex in her life. swallowing thickly down her seemingly dry throat she slowly lifted her head, expecting and bracing herself for what she was going to see.

Nothing.

_Wait what_? She looked around. just an empty hallway. That was not what she was expecting at all, _where was the- the body.. _

Using the locker a leverage she hoisted her self up careful not to fall again and looked around incase there was something she missed but no, there was just a desolate hallway and a pool of dark red liquid on the floor with no source for where it came from.

"What the hell?" She muttered a frown lining her forehead. She didn't understand.

and then she smelt it, something familiar, something sweet and very familiar. It was faint but she could defiantly smell it. Realisation was like bitch slap to the face. She looked to the locker in front of her. _Her_ locker. And back down to the liquid In front of her.

Cherry slushy.

Melted cherry slushy. The cleaners obviously hadn't had time to clean it before the gun went off. To say she was relived that she wasn't coated in someone else's blood was the understatement of the century. She literally started laughing.

But then stopped abruptly when a thought crossed her mind. This could have easily been somebody's blood, two shots were fired, and after that blood curdling scream she heard it after it,it wasn't hard to guess what happened. She was lucky this time but she needed to concentrate. This was real and one mistake could cost her, her life.

" Focus Rachel. " she nodded her head and carried on walking this time with much more cautions than last time.

* * *

She stood out side the door leading to the gym showering room. _What was she waiting for? _Truth be told she had no idea what she was going to do when she found her. She hadn't really planned this far. Rachel would obviously know something was wrong if her high school tormenter all of a sudden cared about her, she knew that Asian girl saw her run back in when finding out Rachel was still in the school. Even finn could put that two and two together. If they both got out of here alive Rachel would probably expect her to start being nice, maybe even, _friends_? No she couldn't do that, being that close to the brunette, who she guessed was definitely the affectionate type, would just be torture. it would hurt far more than what she was doing now. At least if she tormented the girl she would hate her, it was easier that way. Besides she had already came this far so no turning back now right, besides what if Rachel had been hurt she needed to find her. So she pushed down on the handle and pushed open the door.

"Ra-Berry." She called out, mentally scolded her self for slipping up _hopefully Rachel didn't notice._

She walked around in between rows of lockers checking all cubicles of the showers, nothing. "Berry?" She whisper-shouted. Again nothing. _What if Asian made a mistake what if Rachel hadn't gone to the showers._

"Fuck." She felt tears prick her eyes but refused to let them fall. _What if Rachel got out and is outside now? What if she was never even in here? No she had to be! _though this school was so big even if she was, how would she find her? Her shoulders slumped in defeat and she made a move for the door when her foot caught on something. She looked down and saw clothes on the floor, picking them up she realised in delight that they were Rachel's clothes. _Rachel_. A smile graced her lips, she had been here! _ok but_ _where was she now?_ Her smile slowly died on her lips when she thought about it _what if Rachel had been caught and is being held hostage or something. Or what if shes just wandering around not hiding? easy target. _

With a new surge of determination she marched towards the door and back out into the hallway. _She was going to find her, whatever it takes._

* * *

She had just rounded another corridor when it happened. Another gun shot. Instinctively she threw her self on the nearest wall back flat eyes, tightly shut. The sound seemed to echo as it sliced through the silence and Quinn's heart was beating so fast she thought it would explode.

Silence.

It was over. once she deemed it safe she regained composure, pushed herself of the wall and tried to slow her rapid heart beat. The killer wasn't close, in fact judging by the gun shot they were near the other side of the school, but she guessed they'd keep moving. Before she could stop her self she wondered if it was Rachel on the receiving end of the gun. She found herself once again fighting back tears as she pictured Rachel pleading for her life, tears streaming down her beautiful face. staring into the killers mocking eyes before they fired.

"Oh god." She ran to the trash can by the end of the lockers and threw up. The stomach acid burning her throat, vision blurred by tears.

After she was sure her stomach was empty she sat down against the wall and closed her eyes. _What was she doing?_

But before she could even begin to relax her eyes snapped back open. _What was that_? She strained to hear, eyes looking for the source of the noise. She thought she may of imagined it but she heard it again. _Was that crying? Yes it was defiantly someone crying though they sounded like they were trying to be quite about it._

"But where's it coming from?" She whispered to herself.

Slowly and as quite as she could she stood up in search for the crying person. They were close she could tell that , but she was in an empty hall way and unless they were hiding in a locker, which she highly doubted, then she had no idea where it was coming from.

Then she saw it how had she missed that she didn't know.

_Blood_.

or more specifically a trail of blood.

She took a sharp intake of breath and on shaky legs she followed the trail. It ended in front of a door, looking up she saw it was the janitors closet. _How the fuck did she miss that, she must be really out of it. _Running a hand over her face she clasped the cold metal door handle, the muffled sobbing was slightly more clearer now and she could make out that it was a girl. _Rachel_. That was her first thought, her eyes widening as she hurriedly pulled open the door. There was a stifled scream from the girl who sat on the floor in front of her. The girl who was not Rachel but-

"Brittany!?" She hadn't even thought about the girl since her one track mind was solely focused on Rachel. She should have realised her best friend wasn't outside.

"Quinn" was the choked response.

"Oh my god, Britt! Are you ok? What happened? Why aren't you outside!? The-the blood.." The questions were just spewing out but she trailed off as she looked in to teary blue eyes, the girl looked absolutely terrified. Brittany sniffled another tear rolling down her cheek.

"Sh-she won't wake up Quinn." She whispered her face crumpling as she choked back another sob. The girl looked utterly heart broken.

Quinn frowned in confusion before registering for the first time that there was another person in the small room.

Brittany cradled the limp body in her arms and Quinn felt the blood drain from her face as she breathed out

"Santana."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N I hope you enjoy this, it was hard to write. Please bear in mind it is currently 3:27 in the morning so any mistakes, again I apologise. **

When Rachel heard then deafening fire of the gun her hands flew to her mouth as she stifled a scream. The echo of the shot bounced of the lockers making it seem louder than it was. Staggering backwards she slipped, due to her still slushy coated shoes, but managed to catch herself on a near by locker.

They were close.

That gun shot was defiantly closer than the last one.

She started to panic her breathing coming out ragged, she needed to hide.

Her head snapped side to side desperately looking for somewhere to hide, _anywhere_. She ran across the hall to a classroom door trying and failing to open it. Locked.

"Dammit!"

She looked around again. This was the only classroom in this hallway. She'd have to keep moving. She tried to think where the next closest one was searching her brain as she mentally mapped out the school. But before she could even attempt to move she heard something else.

Footsteps.

Her eyes widened, they were so close. Two more minutes and she'd have a bullet through her head. They were getting louder, closer. She frantically searched around but there was nowhere she could go the closest class room was in the direction from where the footsteps where coming. Spinning around she shook the door handle tears gathering in her eyes as she pushed and pulled.

"Please, please,please.." She repeated as she used all her strength on the door she knew was never going to open. A sob ripped from her chest.

She was going to die.

The realisation hit her like a fright train.

She was never going to be on broadway, she'd never have an apartment in New York, she'd never be married, never have kids, a family. She never even got to say goodbye to her dads. But out of all these things she thought about, one thing hurt the most.

She'd never get to tell Quinn how she felt.

Another sob pushed its way past her lips. _Quinn_. _Was she ok? Did she get out? Did she even know Rachel was still in here? Did she even care?_ All these questions she'd never know the answers to.

The footsteps were louder now, so close. she let her hand fall from the handle and slowly turned around back against the door as she waited for death. Her killer was a few feet away from rounding the corner and she closed her eyes tightly, her hands shaking with fear. Tears soaked her cheeks. Head resting on the door behind her.

"Goodbye." She whispered into the air.

Suddenly she fell backwards head smacking against the hard floor. She was too in shock to scream. _Was she dead? _Her vision was clouded and her head pounded painfully. _was this it? had she been shot_? She felt like she was in a bubble, she could hear a voice, so familiar but she just _couldn't_ place it. Every think blurred together she could just make out the words as a figure crouched in front of her.

_"Rachel! Stay with me, come on. Shit Rachel keep your eyes open."_

She could her it but she wasn't listening, she all of a sudden felt tired her eye lids weighed heavily and she struggled to keep them open. The voice faded into the background and she finally let go darkness consuming her.

* * *

_"Santana."_

Her legs gave out and she sank to her knees. Feeling dizzy._ This wasn't happening._

She didn't even try to stop the tears this time as she stared at her best friends body. If she hadn't of threw up before she knew she would of now. She just knelt there staring. She was so pale, almost matching the colour of Brittany. Her eyes trailed further down her body and she saw a small pool of blood underneath the Latinas leg, looking up she saw the wound covered with what she assumed was a piece of cloth tied tightly with some string. She rubbed at her bloodshot eyes trying to make the room stop spinning and then she asked the dreaded question, which she was sure she knew the answer too.

"Is she-is." She took a deep breath and tried again. " Is she dead?"

She heard Brittany make a noise of utter heartbreak beside her. And it made her own heart clench painfully.

"Sh-she c-cant be." She whined hands tightening around her best friends body eyes screwing shut in a weak attempt to stop the tears. As she willed this to be dream, that she'd wake up any second now in bed arms wrapped around a very much alive Santana. "She t-told me- she told me th-that, that she loved me." Her body racking with sobs that were to strong to withhold as she repeated something over and over again. Quinn tilted her head to the side trying to make out the words. And when she did her own heart broke for the girl In front of her.

"I never got to say it back."

Quinn didn't know what to do. There was no words that could comfort the girl. not over something like this. So she sat there helplessly, until she couldn't look anymore. this was the girl who used to light up the room with just her presence, now Quinn didn't think she would ever be the same brittany they knew before. She switched to Santana they'd always been so close from children, now the unholy trinity. yeah her and Santana insulted each other, competing _any_ chance they got, but in the end they _always_ had each others backs.

Brittany was still shaking crying and it didn't look like she was stopping anytime soon. Quinn's eyes flittered over the Latinas body not being able to look at her face anymore. They searched around before landing on the girls chest and- _wait what. No. It can't be. Can it. _how She prayed this wasn't just wishful thinking as she watched the bearly there rise and fall of her friends dead chest. It was so faint that she thought she had just imagined it.

Shakily, she reached out for the girls wrist. _Did she dare_? If this was just her imagination, just wishful thinking. False hope. Well, she didn't think she could handle it.

_But what if it wasn't?_

That was enough of a good argument on its own. So with a deep breath she pressed to fingers to her friends pulse point. Her brow creasing as she waited. And waited.

Her heart plummeted.

She felt it. It was slow and light but it was defiantly there. _She had a pulse.  
She was alive._

"She's alive!"

**A/N sorry guys but I just didn't have it in me to kill Santana off. Though I am warning you there will be a character death. Also sorry for the shortness I will try and make the next one longer. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N I should probably start by saying I haven't got a plan for this story I've just been sort of going with it chapter by chapter so I hope this fits in :/ let me know what you think? Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Her head hurt. And not in the ow I have a headache sort of way but in the oh my fucking god did a truck run over my skull, sort of way. _What happened? _She racked her brain for answers._ Ok so she remembers being slushied, then she was in the shower? Yes the shower-gym shower. No shampoo and conditioner. Then-then... Oh no._ It all came flooding back, _gun shots, locked door. She was about to die. Oh my god was she dead? _She started to panic. _But no wait_ she remembers falling, _that would explain the head pain_. and a voice. _Someone shouting her name?_

Groggily Rachel opened her eyes. Squinting against the light above her. Her head pulsed to the point were she could feel her brain beating. She lifted her hand to her head hissing when it made contact with the open wound, it was wet, she knew it wasn't slushy this time.

"Uuhhnngg" she groaned unintelligibly , _where was she?_

"Was wondering when you were going to wake up." Came a voice from across the room.

Rachel jumped bolting up straight, head snapping to the side were a figure sat casually back on the desk. She rubbed at her eyes to clear her vision and she finally saw who the voice belonged to.

"Noah?" She asked incredulously, not being to contain the grin that threatened to spilt her face.

"You had me worried for a minute there berry." He said nodding at the cut on her temple.

See the thing was,contrary to the schools beliefs Rachel and puck were friends, they had been since they were little due to them being two of the few Jews in Lima. They grew up together, with there families being close. They were best friends. But then high school came, with its status and reputation and oh so cliche expectations. in the first term of freshman year they still hung out as much as they could after school, then puck tried out for the football team and became a jock and Rachel was left labeled as a loser. Even though he got called out on it and even sometimes a slushy facial puck refused to stop being friends with Rachel just because their school was full of ignorant assholes, but they both felt the strain on the friendship. During the second term, Rachel couldn't take it anymore all they did was argue Rachel insisting they stop being friends because he was going to grow to resent her and puck adamantly refusing telling her he wouldn't. Rachel knew he didn't want to hurt her so she used that to her advantage. She told him if he left her and became popular then he'd be able to protect her more so than now, he'd have power over the other jocks. He didn't like it but he knew she was right so they ended it. He couldn't stop all the slushies or the bullying but if it wasn't for him it would of been ten times worse.

"How long was I out for?" She asked.

"not long, 'bout twenty minutes tops." He replied jumping off the desk and walking over to her. "Why are you still in the school Rach?" He said sitting down on the floor next to her.

"I was in the shower when the gun went off." Seeing the confusion on his face she elaborated. "Slushy." His face hardened for a split second before he schooled his features changing the subject.

"How's your head?"

"Hurts like hell, you don't happen to have aspirin by any chance do you?" He chuckled lightly at this and shook his head. They fell into a comfortable silence. If there was slight awkwardness between them it had gone now, it almost felt like old times.

".. I thought I was going to die." Rachel whispered breaking the silence. Puck turned to her, his face uncharacteristically serious, slowly he reached over taking her small hand in his relishing in the feeling of familiarity he found there and gave it a light squeeze before saying with so much confidence Rachel had no problem believing him.

"I'm not going to let that happen."

Before he knew what was happening Rachel had jumped into his lap wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder inhaling his aftershave which she noted was the same one he had always used. Automatically he wrapped his strong arms around her small frame holding her tightly to his chest. They both had missed this.

They sat there comfortably for a few minutes before Rachel lifted her head unwrapping her arms from his neck but stayed seated in his lap because it made her feel safe and secure which is exactly what she needed right now.

"Why are you still here Noah?" She asked the question only just coming into her mind. He thought for a moment before saying.

"When the gun went off everyone panicked and it was just crazy. Everyone was pushing and shoving to get out and I bent over to get my bag and some dick knocked me over. Hit my head pretty hard. Out cold. I guess no one noticed me cause when i woke up it was empty. I locked myself in her and waited for the police to come or something."

He shrugged and Rachel noted the bruise forming on his forehead where she guessed he had hit being knocked over.

"Then another shot went off, It was louder than the others I panicked and then you tried to open the door and I thought it was the shooter. I was so fucking scared. I wasn't going to open it but then I heard you crying. I didn't know you were leaning against it, sorry." He said looking apologetically towards the cut on the side of her temple. He would never even think of ever admitting to anyone else that he, noah 'badass' puckerman was scared. But he'd known Rachel nearly his whole life, he felt comfortable around her to be himself.

He was brought out of his musing when he felt soft lips peck his cheek and small arms once again settle around his neck.

"You saved my life. Thank you Noah." She smiled gratefully, burying her head in his is neck and sighing contently.

"Anytime." And he meant it. He would do anything to protect his Jew babe, she was really special to him. It had hurt him so much when they stopped being friends but he knew she was right he couldn't protect her that way. That didn't make it hurt less. But that was when he was a freshman, basically a nobody, now he is THE Noah puckerman. Everybody knows his name and nobody would question him or they'd get there ass kicked. Over the years he had tried to build up the courage to speak to her ask her to be his friend again but each time he saw her he chickened out, for what reason he didn't know. Maybe it was because he thought she might have changed? That she would brush him off, reject him. He couldn't handle that. But now, with her sitting on his lap just like old time he knew he wasn't going to loose her again and with that he made a promise to himself, he would get them both out of this and when he did things would change.

"Noah, you're thinking to loud." he heard the smile in her voice. _She still knew him so well even after all this time._

"What are you thinking about?" She asked when he didn't respond.

"Nothin' just whats gonna happen when we get out of here."

"If." She whispered sadly but he heard her. He turned her around until she was facing him, looking straight into her eyes and with the most serious look Rachel had ever seen on his face he said sternly.

"I am going to get us out of here Rachel. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise." She nodded seeing noting but sincerity and determination in his eyes. But she had to ask-

"How?"

"How what?"

"How are you going to get us out of here?" He paused, he hadn't actually thought about that..

"We'll, just have to wait for the police I guess."

"They won't come in until they are sure where about the shooter is there aren't that many police in Lima they wouldn't risk it. Besides before you opened the door the shooter was about to come around the corner so assuming there is only one of them, they would be far enough away." Noah frowned.

"So what are you suggesting, we got out in the open and risk getting killed?" He asked incredulously.

"I was out there before I came in here, if we're quiet-" she got cut off by Noah before she could finish.

"Yeah and you almost got killed! I promised you I would protect you and letting you going out there would break that promise!" His voice was raised now but he was to angry to care. Rachel stood up off his knee and puck followed her movements.

"Well I can't just sit here and wait for the police to come, who knows how long they'll be Noah! And if the killer comes back and finds us we'll be blocked off with nowhere to run, we can't even go out the window because we're on the second floor!" She shouted, to concentrated on the argument to care about being quiet.

"I am not letting you go out there Rachel now drop it!"

"You don't get to decide what I do! We haven't spoke in two years!"

"Yeah well, go ahead then and try getting out because incase you've forgot its locked, I've got the key and ill be damned if I let you have it."

Rachel was about to reply when she suddenly stopped hearing a sound. Apparently she wasn't the only one because noah had also stopped, eyes wide. The both turned there heads on the same direction.

The door.

Someone was trying to get in.

Rachel's breath caught in her throat and her hand blindly searched for pucks all anger towards him forgotten.

Puck stood frozen. _they had been too loud._ The door handle was shaking rapidly and whoever was on the other side was eager to get in. Rachel gripped his hand tightly and he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. The noise stopped but they heard no footsteps indicating the person had left.

"_I'm scared_." Rachel breathed into the silence. Puck wrapped an arm around her body and held her close, _he was scared too._ The silence was excruciating, _what was the person doing on the other side of the door? Waiting? _Then a thought occurred to Rachel _what if that person was like her just trying to get in, to hide._ She was about to voice her thoughts to Noah when she heard the sound that never fails to make her blood run cold. A gun shot. She stifled the squeal that rose in her chest. And then she heard an unfamiliar sound but it wasn't hard to guess what it was. A body. Or more distinctively a body hitting the floor.

She felt faint.

Someone had been trying to get in to hide just like her, she could have saved them..she let them die. This was her fault. _What if it had been someone she knew?_ Oh god her knees felt weak. To make matters worse the shooter was right outside with only a piece of wood separating them. _She was pretty sure she was about to pass out. _She moved out from under Noah's arm and stumbled backwards.

Into a chair.

Which fell scraping the floor on its way down.

Loudly.

Puck whipped his head towards her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights, face a rapidly turning sickly shade of white. Rachel was certain she looked the same.

Her heart was in her mouth.

Silence.

They waited. Frozen in position afraid to move. If the shooter was outside they'd defiantly of heard it, _what were they waiting for?_

Asif to answer Rachel's question another shot rang out this time she didn't even try to cover her scream. Puck instinctively stood in front of her. both there stomachs dropping as they watched the door handle clatter against the floor. Rachel's heart was beating so fast and her breathing was coming out ragged. Her legs were jelly she couldn't stand. She fell, knees inches away from hitting the floor when she felt two strong arm encircle her waist. That was all she felt before passing out, for the second time today.

**A/N bit off puckleberry bromance for you there, I apologise about the shortness of there background story I was just trying to get it in there sort of..**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N sorry about the shortness. The next chapter will have them both in again not just one at a time. Let me know what you think? **

* * *

_"She's alive!"_

Brittany furrowed her brow, her sobs subsiding and looked at Quinn confusion written all over her face. _Surely she'd heard wrong? _

"W-what?" she was almost certain she had heard wrong.

Quinn looked at her a smile working its way across her lips eyes shiny with new found hope.

"Britt she has a pulse...she's alive." She whispered almost disbelievingly.

Brittany looked at her for a long moment, speechless. Before saying-

"..are you sure?" She sounded so child like.

Quinn rested the Latinas wrists on Brittany's lap, before taking the dancers fingers and placing them over her girlfriends pulse point. Brittany gasped. Tears welling up again but this time for a completely different reason.

"She's going to be ok " Brittany whispered more to her self.

"Yeah she Is B, but she really needs some medical help. She's lost a lot of blood." Quinn said, not wanting to make the other blonde cry by telling her if they didn't move now theres a good chance Santana could still die.

"So what do we do?" She asked tearing her eyes away from her girlfriends face.

"We have to get her outside, I'm sure they will have an ambulance out there." She smiled reassuringly.

"But how do we get out there?"

Quinn paused thinking for a moment.

"There's a window. That I came threw it leads to the back of the school, we can get out threw there. It's not that far away."

Brittany looked unsure.

"Quinn the man with the gun is still out there."

"Yeah but- wait how do you know if it's a man?"

"We saw him when-when San got, hurt." She said lips tuning down at the memory of her girlfriend being shot and the panic she felt at the time.

"Well Who was it? Do I know him?" Quinn asked her curiosity peaking.

" I don't know, he was wearing a black mask. But like I could tell he was a boy 'cause he was really big and he didn't have any boobs." She said in her monotone voice.

Quinn sighed. "Right ok, we-" just then a shot rang out Brittany jumped wimping and Quinn put her hand over her racing heart.

"Hey B, it's going to be ok" she said once she'd calmed down. "That gun shot wasn't close, that's a good thing. But we need to move, now" she said in her most calming voice. Brittany sat still shaking her head.

"W-What if we get caught Quinn, I don't wanna die."

Quinn sucked in a breath.

"Britt?... B, if we don't go now...Santana could die" she didn't want to have to tell her that but it was the only way. "She needs a doctor."

Brittany's eyes were wide at this new information. She looked at her girlfriends body. She'd already been through the pain of thinking Santana was dead, she did not want to go there again.

"Yeah ok. Lets go. " she said standing up.

Quinn looked from Santana to Brittany. "How are we going to carry her?"

"Just put one of her arms around each of us? She's really light."

So with that Quinn stood up helping lift Santana, who yeah was really light but still a dead weight so it was hard to keep her up. If it wasn't for Brittany's strong arm around the Latinas waist, Quinn was sure she'd fall. Santana's head lolled around and she scarily resembled a corpse. That just spurred on Quinn's determination. She was not going to die. Not again.

they lugged her down the hallways looking cautiously around and keeping as quiets as possible. A thin sheen of sweat coated Quinn's forehead, it was harder than it looked carrying a body.

They finally reached the window where Quinn first came in and she was certain her arm was about to fall off however Brittany looked fine as she set her girlfriend down on a table.

"So um..how do we like get her out the window?" Brittany asked tilting her head.

Quinn paused. _How where they going to get her out the window? Well fuck.._

"I- I'm actually not sure... I didn't exactly think this part through." She said embarrassedly.

Brittany thought for a moment, Quinn knew this because she had her thoughtful face on. Brow furrowed and biting her lip.

"How about I go out first and then you sort of like pass her out to me?" She asked.

Quinn thought about it, it did seem like the only option.

"Will you be able to catch her Britt?" She asked even with all the cheerleading routines Britt never caught anyone she was always the one being caught.

"I will always catch her." She said with the most sincere expression Quinn had ever seen her wear.

"O-ok well um, you go first then."

Brittany bounced over to the window, lifting it carefully and putting it on a lock. She climbed out gracefully and shouted for Quinn to pass her out. Quinn walked over to the Latinas body and- fuck how was she going to lift her on her own, her arms where still sore from before.

"Quinn?" Britt asked from outside.

"Yeah B, just give me a second."

She had to do this her best friends life was at stake. So she put her hands under Santana's arms and pulled her off of the table. The Latinas bottom half of her body hit the floor with a dull thud.

"Shit, sorry S." she whispered wincing. _That was going to leave some bruising_.

She dragged her best friends body across the rest of the linoleum floor until she got to the base of the window. Now for the hard part. She popped her head out the window and saw Brittany looked up at her.

"I'm gonna pass her down now ok Britt?"

"Kay" she said arms at the ready.

Quinn squatted down putting one arm around her best friends shoulder and the other under her knees, she heaved her up with great effort. Then manoeuvred her out the window until she was half hanging out with her. All her energy went on not falling out as well.

"You ready Britt?" She wheezed out.

"Yeah Q, just be careful."

It was only a few feet drop but Quinn was still skeptical. This was the only way though.

" ok ready, 3, 2..1" and with that she let go feeling instantly retuning to her arms.

She looked down at Santana safely in Brittany's arms and smiled in relief. B looked up smiling back.

"Your turn Q, or do you need catching as well?" She asked sweetly.

"No Britt I'm..I'm not coming." She said carefully.

"What do you mean?" She said looking completely confused.

"Britt I have to go back, there are still people in here. I-I need to save them." She whispered the last part her mind going back to Rachel.

Brittany's brow furrowed and bit her lip. _Quinn wouldn't risk her life just for some random people? She'd on do that for her and S and they were both right hear. The only other person would be.._ Then a knowing look washed over her face.

"Is Rachel still in there?" She asked like she already knew the answer.

"W-what I-i don't.. Why would you think that?" She asked her heart beating erratically.

" love makes you do stupid things."

Quinn's heart all but stopped.

"I..no what? I don't.. I-I'm not..she's not.." She spluttered.

"Quinn it's ok." Stopping Quinn's rambling. "And by the way Rachel's like totally unicorn too" she said giving her a kind smile.

Well Quinn had no idea what the hell that meant but she chose not to ask..

"Be careful Quinn." She said seriously before walking away her girlfriend securely in her arms.

Quinn watched her go wondering how she could carry the other girl with such ease And also how the hell she knew about Rachel. then brittany was always smarter than people gave her credit for. When they were out of sight. Quinn put her head back in the window and closed it quietly. It was like déjà vu but this time she was going to find Rachel.

Another gun shot fired. Slightly closer than the last.

She clenched her jaw. Time was running out.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N ok so here's the next chapter let me know what you think?**

* * *

Rachel awoke her back aching from the uncomfortable position. her mind took its time to catch up nevertheless all memories of what happened were there this time. She remembered fainting and the door handle falling off. Getting shot off. The shooter. Her eyes were still closed but she tried to make out what was going on around her using her other senses.

it was silent.

Though a feeling of comfort washed over her when she caught the scent of Noah's aftershave close by. _Really_ close by.

She cracked open her eyes and sure enough there was pucks body about a ruler length away, slumped on the floor. _Why was he on the floor? Was he.. Oh god no.. _she reached out to touch him but her hand was restricted. _What the hell? _She looked up at her bound wrist.

_Handcuffs? What was going on?_

Her left arm was free though, so she used it to tug on the metal cuff restricting her right wrist. even though she knew it was no use. It clanked loudly against the metal table leg that stood bolted to the ground. The noise ripped through the silence.

"finally decided to wake up then?" A voice drawled out from behind her.

She froze.

A chill running down her spine. She knew that voice. This time it wasn't a good thing.

* * *

Quinn power walked through the hallways, she was pretty sure she had checked everywhere on the first floor. Nothing. The only place left to look was the second floor and that's where the gun shot came from.

Rachel was up there and so was the gun man. She tried to push the thoughts out of her head she really, really did. But no such luck.

Rachel was there and so was the gunman. He'd fired three shots up there and what was the likely hood of Rachel not being on the receiving end of one of those shots. _Low_. She really tried to stop the thoughts but her mind wouldn't let her. If Rachel was.._dead_. She winced at the thought. Then by her going up there could mean she dies as well.

She would die for nothing.

Then another part of her asked _what if she's alive? What if she's scared and alone? What if she's alive and she dies because you leave her there?_

So many questions. So many '_what ifs_'.

Would she really be willing to risk her life for Rachel? _Was she really worth it_?

Well hadn't she answered that the moment she ran back into the school?

'_Love makes you do stupid things_'

Brittany's voice echoed in her mind. Did she love Rachel? She'd liked for over a year now, but did that mean she loved her? Well she was risking her life for the girl. If that wasn't love then she didn't know what was.

It was decided then.

Slowly she made her way towards the stairs leading to the second floor.

* * *

"David?" She asked disbelievingly.

She turned her head to look at him. His short hair was tussled, his face was dripping in sweat, stubble covered his chin, his eyes were bloodshot and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. He looked so out of it.

He smirked though it came out more of a grimace.

She had so many questions but the first one that came out was-

"What did you do to Noah?"

He laughed but it was hallow and void of any real emotion.

"That dick needs to learn to keep his mouth shut."

Rachel looked at Noah's slumped body in alarm. but she couldn't see any blood. She could however see the gentle rise and fall of his strong chest. Which calmed her considerably.

"I didn't kill him. _Yet_. " he smirked again.

Her stomach dropped.

She wondered what had happened to this boy to turn him into..into a murderer, yeah she knew he was a bully she got that, what with the amount of slushy facials she got from him daily. But she never thought of him as a killer.

_A Killer. _

That reminded her the body. The body that fell outside the door.

Gingerly, she turned her head towards the door way and sure enough there was a body laying lifelessly in the doorway only the top half was visible. Her eyes travelled upwards to the face that was covered in crimson liquid but was still identifiable.

Her blood ran cold when she recognised who it was.

"Oh god..." She breathed out. She tore her eyes away, staring at the floor focusing on anything but the dead corpse in the doorway. She swallowed and took a deep breath concentrating solely on not throwing up. She tried to keep her tears at bay.

David whipped his head around in the direction of the door. An unreadable expression coming over her face, before he looked away back to Rachel.

"It was his own fault." He said his voice blank.

Rachel looked up at him incredulously her brow furrowed, suddenly anger replaced the feeling of sickness in a matter of seconds. He had the audacity to blame the boy who was now dead in a doorway, for his actions!

"How dare you! This was not Kurt's fault! Don't even try to put the blame on him!"

David narrowed his eyes fingers tightening around the handle of the gun. Rachel's eyes zoned in on the action and she snapped her mouth shut. Now was not the time to antagonise a murderer.

"It is his fault! Don't you fuckin' get it!?" He screamed angrily. Rachel's eyes widened and her jaw opened and closed, _was she suppose to answer?_ Before she could though he spoke again.

"He comes around school with his faggy clothes and his fuckin' faggy voice and he doesn't care what people think of him!"

Rachel was now confused... _What was he talking about? Was he doing all of this because he's that big of a homophobe?_

"He gets to be himself he doesn't have the- the pressure of his friends or his dad or his reputation to think about! His dad fuckin' accepts him! He prances around this town without a care in the fucking world. How is that fair!?"

Rachel was at a loss. She had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

"Why should he parade that in my face!? When I've gotta hide who I am and it fucking kills me everyday and he just fucking rubs it in! He made me like this!"

_Wait hold up, what? _

Rachel replayed his words in her head. She looked back up at him, he was panting now after his little outburst and his eyes were shiny.

_No he couldn't be. Could he? Was-was he talking about what she thinks he is_. She had to ask-

"Are-David are you..._gay_?"

He whipped his head towards her his eyes blazing lips curling up into a snarl. He bent down in front of her and before she had time to register what he was doing he was in her face gripping his meaty hands tightly around her jaw. She could smell slight alcohol on his breath.

"What the fuck did you just say?"

Rachel gulped visibly. " I-I was just.."

Then suddenly he cut her off laughing hysterically. She looked at him utterly confused and slightly frightened _did she miss something_?. He just carried on laughing with no real reason behind it. However his eyes showed no amusement.

He'd lost it.

That's her conclusion. The boy had finally snapped.

He stopped laughing and trailed of into a deep sigh and looked at her with blank tired eyes. He looked so disconnected with everything that Rachel kind of felt sorry for him.

Then her eyes glanced behind him to the doorway where the boy she fought solos over for nearly two years lay covered in his own blood. That slither of sympathy vanished.

"I guess it doesn't matter if you know now cause your gonna be dead in a few minutes." His voice sounded so far away and he was looking through her like she wasn't even there.

"Why are you doing this?"

He took a second to answer and Rachel thought that maybe he hadn't heard her.

"..I can't take it anymore."

Rachel waited for him to elaborate but he didn't.

"Can't take what?" She asked carefully not wanting to set him of again.

He didn't look like he was going to continue he just looked zoned out.

Just then a low groan pulled him out of his head and his eyes snapped to pucks body, a statistic smile creeping up his face.

Rachel's stomach bottomed.

"...Rach?" He croaked.

He opened his eyes and met Rachel's worried ones. Then switched to David's blank ones. And his mind caught up with the previous events.

"_Shit_." He whispered.

David stood up walking to the desk where Rachel spotted the keys to the handcuffs. Not that it mattered. They were going to die. This wasn't like in the movies they weren't going to survive to live happily ever after. Real life didn't work that way, Kurt was a prime example of that.

Suddenly this was all too real.

At first when the gun shot went off and she was in the showers although she was scared she thought she'd survive. Even when her back was against the locked door and Dave was rounding the corner she still had a shred of hope. Now though. None. No one was going to save her now.

" now that were all awake, I guess we should start." A lopsided grin pulled at his lips.

Rachel could hear her blood pumping in her ears along with the sound of Noah struggling with the hand cuffs and Cursing loudly when they didn't budge.

"You don't have to do this David." She said trying to keep the shake out of her voice.

He looked at her quizzically for a second like she was a foreign species he'd never seen before. Then he laughed. That mad empty laugh of someone who just given up. The laugh that gave her chills. He ran a hand through his already mussed hair.

"Which of you wants to go first?" He asked lazily pointing the gun between them both.

With his free arm Noah took Rachel's hand in his own, she gripped it tightly.

"Huh? No one gonna answer? Well-"

"I'll go first."

David's eyes bored into Noah's. Rachel whipped her head to the side.

"Noah no!"

"Thats cute. Trying to be the hero? Your both going to die anyway so what does it really matter?"

" then you won't mind shooting me first." He said confidently but Rachel could feel his hand trembling.

Dave studied Noah for a very long moment. His beady eyes boring into his soul. Until realisation washed over his face.

"No."

Noah raised his eyebrow. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean, i know what your trying to do and you don't get to save your little girlfriend. You don't get to die tryin' to be a fuckin' hero!" He spat and pointed the gun at Rachel's head.

She whimpered clutching Noah's hand in a death grip. Noah started to panic he had to protect Rachel.

He promised. That or he'd die trying.

David's fingers twitched around the trigger. Rachel screwed her eyes shut.

"Y'know karofsky, I always knew you were gay." Noah said quickly. Thinking fast.

David snapped his eyes to puck in a hard glare. Lowering the gun in his hand slightly.

Rachel crack her eyes open looking at Noah in confusion, _what was he was doing?_

"What the fuck did you just say!?" He yelled his eyes burning holes into Noah, his free hand clenched into a fist.

"...I said. I always knew you were gay. Everybody did. Why do you think everyone covered there junk when you where in the changing rooms?" He was lying,but karofsky was too far gone to think rationally and if it was making him angry that's all that mattered.

_protect Rachel or die trying right?_

David was bright red with either anger or embarrassment they weren't sure. "Shut your fuckin' mouth puckerman!" He warned waving the gun dangerously at puck.

Noah gulped eyeing the barrel of the gun warily. He knew his hands were full on shaking by now but his kept face impassive. Taking a subtle deep breath he carried on.

"Yeah everyone always talked. saying things like how your only on the football team so you can tackle _big,strong_ _guys_ to the ground and get a good look while there changing-"

By now David was shaking with rage his breath coming out in shot, angry puffs. Rachel was pleading for Noah to stop since she had by now caught on to what he was doing but both boys where ignoring her presence.

"Is that why you wanted to kill Rachel first so you can have me to yourself? _And Handcuffed?_ Kinky, I didn't know you where into bondage I-"

The shot rang out loudly echoing through the room. Rachel squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears in reflex. Her mind went blank. not actually processing what happened.

That is until She heard a strangled gasp for breath next to her. Her eyes flew open and she immediately locked on to Noah's wide frightened ones. Her eyes travelled further south until she reached his chest where his hand was currently clutching his black t-shirt blood seeping between his fingers.

She was hyperventilating. She was sure she was going to have a panic attack.

"Noah.." Tears sprang to her eyes. She didn't know what to do. This wasn't happening. _This couldn't happen. _

"You-you can't... No." She was shaking her head adamantly refusing to accept the fact that her former best friend was dying in front of her.

He was gasping, clawing at his chest in attempt to catch some air. "Rach.." It came out hoarse and strangled.

He didn't have long left.

Rachel sat there not knowing what to do. She had never felt so helpless in her life. _Should she comfort him? Tell him everything's going to be ok when they both know its a lie?_ Before she could even think of what to say she was already speaking.

"Y-you..you c-cant. You can't die!"

He huffed, what Rachel assumed was meant to be a laugh, with the little air he had left.

He couldn't talk, he could just about breathe.

Rachel knew the sound of him wheezing for air would forever be engraved in her memory. Forever wouldn't be long though she soon realised, she was due to die soon as well.

She realised she probably sounded like him in the breathing department because she could not catch her breath.

His eyes were drooping closed and she could see him struggling to stay awake. He seemed to realise his struggles were futile and he blinked slowly giving her one last meaningful look before he let them close completely.

She screamed at him demanding he opened his eyes! But he lay there still. She searched his chest for any signs of movement.

Nothing.

She was bawling now. Screaming at him incoherently. Not even registering his blood she now sat in pooling under her jeans. She struggled against the handcuffs thrashing her arms around wildly.

David watched the scene in front of him with a dazed expression. Until Rachel turned to him with the most hateful glare he'd ever witnessed. Her anger was bubbling over tenfold.

"YOU! YOU MONSTER! Why- what is wrong with you !? You-you killed him!" She screamed at him tears streaming down her face. His face however remained neutral as he watched her rant on, waiting until she tired her self out.

When she'd finally finished she slumped back in defeat staring off into nothing. Her expression was exhausted and so torn.

"You finished?" He drawled lazily.

She didn't even look up at him. Noah's blood had soaked up into her jeans almost completely now. She didn't even realised.

"Fucking look at me when I'm talking to you!" He crouched down in front of her grabbing her face forcefully. Squeezing his fingers tighter until she met his eyes slowly.

"_Kill me_." She whispered.

"What?"

"kill me, your going to do it eventually...I'm tired of waiting." She had accepted now that she was ultimately going to die however she hated the anticipation of prolonging the inevitable.

He studied her for one long moment eyes narrowed suspiciously before he stood back up and talking a few steps back.

"I'll tell you what Man Hands. I'm going to take a piss down the hall and your going to wait here next to you pathetic boyfriends body, sittin' in his blood and waiting for your time to join him.

An when you hear my footsteps coming back down the hallway. with each step you hear you'll know your closer and closer to your death. And unlike your knight in shining fucking armour hear imma make yours slow and painful. I'm going to draw in out, because you were always the fucking worst. You and your faggot fucking fathers infecting the town! You setting up your little homoexplosion glee club! You making friends with Kurt and getting him to fuckin' come out!"

His anger had once again made itself know half way through the speech and he gave her one last snarl of disgust before storming out of the room stepping over Kurt's body on the way out without so much as a glance.

* * *

Quinn had searched almost everywhere on the second floor and nothing. Her doubts about Rachel being alive once again resurfaced. Though she soon realised if Rachel was dead she'd at least have found a body. There where two more hallways to check and she prayed Rachel was in one of them, alive.

She rounded the corner when a shot rang out.

She flung herself against the nearest wall breathing heavily. The gunman was just a few classrooms down.

She peered around the wall she was currently stood flat against and scanned the corridor.

"Fuck.." She whispered when she spotted a boys body in front of the door she had heard the shot come from.

She wasn't sure what to do. _Should she try the next hallway? Or was Rachel in this one?_ Her heart was pounding.

_What if Rachel had just been shot?_ That was like the tenth time she'd asked herself that question but each time never failed to give her that stabbing feeling in her gut.

Her feet seemed to have made the decision for her as they walked towards the first classroom door.

She checked through the window. Empty.

She tip-toed stealthily to the next door panting, not out of exhaustion but out of the fact that the gunman was in the next room and could step out any moment. Checking through the window in front of her she realised this one as well was empty. One more room left.

Her heart was beating wildly against her chest now and she was genuinely concerned she may have a heart attack.

Then she heard it. A voice.

An angry voice.

"-_your faggot fucking fathers infecting the town! You setting up your little homoexplosion glee club! You making friends with Kurt and getting him to fuckin' come out_!"

She knew that voice far too well.

David karofsky.

"Holy shit.." She whispered her hand cupping her mouth. Karofsky was the shooter. she did not expect that. She didn't actually know what she had expected but it certainly wasn't that.

Wait.._faggot fathers? Setting up glee club?_

Her heart dropped.

_Rachel_.

He was talking to Rachel, well shouting to Rachel. _Does that mean she's alive? but there was a gun shot? Shit has she-_

Before she could continue her train of thought she heard footsteps heading towards the door. She whipped her head around frantically looking for a place to hide. Finding one she jumped in between two rows of lockers and pressed her back against the cold wall as hard as she could, trying to control her very loud breathing.

She heard who she could only assume was karofsky make there way out the classroom and she closed her eyes praying he didn't walk in her direction because there was no way he wouldn't see her.

Obviously someone up there was listening because she heard him walk the opposite way.

She waited until the closing sound of a doorat the bottom of the hallway until she popped her head out to look around. Empty. With that she pushed herself of the wall and walked towards the open classroom her thoughts running wild.

_What was she going to find? Had Rachel died? _She couldn't hear anything coming from the room and there had defiantly been a gun shot in here. She couldn't deal with seeing the small girl dead. Her feet however disagreed because they kept moving making a beeline for the open door, that is until she almost tripped.

She looked down.

"Jesus fuck." She muttered even though she was Christian she couldn't help but blurt the words out. She studied the body on the floor in front of her.

She vaguely remembered the boy as one of her many slushy victims. This kid she remembers was in glee club with Rachel.

_Shit he was probably one of her friends. _

She stepped over him not being able to look any longer and made her way into the classroom.

Rachel sat there head down staring intently at her lap,shoulders shaking as she wept silently. She didn't want to die. She was only a teenager, she was too young. She kept picturing her fathers faces when they heard the news. How devastated they'd be hearing there little girl had been murdered. That just added a fresh load of tears.

Then she let her mind strayed to Quinn.

_Would she care? Would she cry? Would she even attended the funeral?_ Rachel accepted the heartbreaking fact that Quinn would probably be relived she was dead.

That sent a stab of pain through her already sore up heart.

"_Rachel_?"

She was even imagining Quinn's voice now. God she must be desperate. Though the sweet honey like voice was soothing and calmed Rachel considerably.

"Berry!?" Ok she hadn't imagined that.

Her head snapped up eyes latching on to the wide hazel ones staring back. Her imagination defiantly was not this good.

"Oh thank god. I thought.. Fuck Rachel answer straight away next time."

Rachel just stared at her this was far too good to be true. Quinn couldn't possibly be hear. Much less be calling her 'Rachel' and was that _concern_? lacing her tone. No she had to be imagining things.

"Rachel? Can-can you hear me? Are you hurt?" Quinn rushed towards the girl in slight alarm.

Now fully in the class room she noticed the other body _handcuffed_? Next to Rachel.

_Was that? Fuck no. It-was that puck? _

She ran a hand over her face taking a deep breath. She admits to not liking the boy much while he was alive but she certainly would never want to see him dead. She forced her eyes away from the Mohawk haired boy back to the small brunette.

And _god, was that pucks blood Rachel was sitting in_?

She doubted the girl even realised, she looked so out of it.

Quinn moved closer, awkwardly side stepping the growing puddle of blood and crouched down in front of Rachel. The girl was staring at her lap so Quinn, in need of her attention, gently reached out her hand brushing the other girls cheek softly. Rachel's eyes shot towards her wide and startled.

She examined Quinn for a long minute before letting out a slow puff of air.

"Your real." She breathed.

Quinn wasn't sure she knew what that meant but the girl had obviously been through a lot, hell she had just watched someone die, or two someones if she saw that glee club kid. that is bound to mess a person up.

So she went along with it.

"Yeah, I'm real." Her heart broke as she gazed into vulnerable brown eyes that lacked the fierce glint she was so use to seeing.

"Rach, we have to go ok?" She said remembering that they had little time, karofsky had left but she was sure he wouldn't leave Rachel handcuffed to a table if he wasn't coming back.

That seemed to snap Rachel out of whatever daze she'd been in and her eyes flittered towards the door and back fear intensifying with each second.

"Quinn you have to leave now." Her voice was hurried and desperate.

Quinn scoffed frowning. Seriously she did not risk her life for this girl, only to be sent away. She told Rachel just that.

"Rachel I did not come back for you, risking my life, to be sent away. Now come on, we're running out of time." She pressed on.

Rachel stared at her with an unreadable expression.

"What?" She asked rather impatiently. they really needed to get a move on.

"You.. you came back for me?" She asked timidly. Disbelief lacing her tone.

Quinn's face softened "well, Yeah.." She said her voice suddenly quite.

"..Why?"

"Rachel we can talk about this once where outside but we need to go now!" _They had already wasted so much time._

Quinn looked expectantly at Rachel who sat unmoving looking at something to the side. Quinn followed her line of sight before landing on the handcuffs keeping her in place.

"Fuck." She cursed and tried pulling on the offending object but of corse it wasn't moving. she rubbed her jaw. Rachel looked at her in with a somber expression. Before a thought struck her.

The keys.

She strained her head up scanning the table and yep there they were.

"Quinn on the table- the keys." She said hurriedly, knowing David would be back any minute now.

Quinn sprang up and searched the table until she found the small, shiny object. Then ran back over to Rachel.

She bent down fumbling with the keys. Trying to get them into the lock with her shaky hands was hard and she ended up dropping them. picking them back up she realised they were now covered in pucks blood. She gagged. Wiling her self to carry on without throwing up, she tried again.

The both froze in position when they heard a door open and close at the bottom of the hallway. A whimper pushed past Rachel's lips and she instinctively reached for Noah's hand to hold. Of course though it wasn't there so she clutched the nearest thing to her. Quinn's arm.

Quinn took a deep breath and tried again the lock popped open. She bit her lip to stifle a victory shout. And stood up to get ready to run. The footsteps where slow and deliberate and with each one Rachel knew just like he said she was closer to her death but now so was Quinn and it was all her fault.

"Rachel get up! Come on!" Quinn whispered.

Rachel shook her head tears welling up again, she seriously thought she'd be all cried out by now. Obviously not.

"Rachel I'm not joking get up!" She whisper-shouted again.

But Rachel still kept her wrist in the loosely open handcuffs.

"Quinn he has a gun and he's out there. Th-the second we step out of that door we'll be shot on-on sight. " Rachel whispered back.

Quinn realised she was right. _Shit_. He'd walk through that door in less than minute and fire a bullet through both there skulls.

His footsteps were getting closer and,Quinn was sure she was having palpitations. _Jesus think Quinn, think_! Her eyes darted around the room frantically , in search for something, anything.

Then something caught her eye.

_A fire extinguisher?_

It was the only heavy looking object in the room. It could buy her a few minutes at most maybe. But really that's all she needed.

She ran over to it heaving it of its stand. It wasn't as heavy as she'd expected but it'd do. David's footsteps where close now. She ran back over to Rachel as quietly as she could.

"Rach, just sit tight and when i tell you to you have to run ok?" She whispered.

Rachel involuntarily shivered at the hot breath that hit her ear but still however looked uncertain.

"Trust me. _Please_?" Her hazel eyes giving the most sincere expression.

Rachel gave her one sharp nod and Quinn quickly ran as quiet as possible behind the door.

In the second Quinn got behind the door David walked in. Thankfully he didn't seem to have saw her.

He was spinning the gunn around on his finger as he strolled in eyes fixed on Rachel. "..while I was gone I was thinking of ways to draw it out for you. Ways to make it slow and painful just like I promised." His lips pulled up into a lopsided girl that went un noticed by Rachel because she had her eyes trained on her lap.

Quinn on the other hand was looking at David or more so the back of his head, she hoped her plan worked. If she could actually call it a plan, when she came up with it about twenty seconds ago. She was just waiting for the right moment. _If there even was a right moment_.

David took a sharp intake of breath before storming over to Rachel and without warning kicking her square in the stomach. She let out a yelp of pain. Then he crouched down tangling one of his meaty hands tightly in her hair angling her head so she had no choice but to look him in the eye.

"What the fuck have I told you about lookin' at me when I'm talkin' to you! You-"

he didn't get to finish his sentence as the blunt end of the fire extinguisher made contact with the side of his head sending him sprawling on the floor. Rachel hissed when he pulled out strands of his hair as he fell.

David grunted loudly and Quinn's eyes widened. _She really thought that would knock him out. Well fuck.._

She locked eyes with Rachel.

"Run!" She Shouted taking the other girls hand to help pull her up and both girls dashed toward the exit.

Rachel stumbled over Kurt's body forgetting it was there and went tumbling to the floor.

"Oomph"

Quinn twisted around upon hearing her and ran back to try to help the other girl back up.

"Come on Rachel!" She shouted seen as there was no point in whispering anymore. She already knew who the shooter was and he was in that room and definitely not knocked out like she had hoped.

They froze when they heard a chair scrape loudly along the floor. They both looked back at the classroom then to each other before Rachel scrambled to her feet and continued running only this time hand clasped tightly around Quinn's.

"Quinn where are we going!? All the doors are closed" She said as they turned the corner.

"Yeah I know. We just have to get to the first floor and then we can use a window." She explained panting lightly

"Quinn I-" she started but was interrupted by the sound of a gun shot.

She lost her footing in surprise and would've went crashing to the floor if hadn't been for Quinn's hand in hers keeping her up.

"Shit." She heard Quinn mutter and she increased there speed dragging Rachel along behind her.

"Run faster Rachel!"

"This is as fast as I can go! I'm not a cheerleader Quinn!" She shouted back.

"You need to try Rachel, he's on the football team he can easily catch up to us." She grunted out ignoring the protest in her legs as she tried to further increase her speed.

They ran down another hallway before the stairs were in sight.

"Almost there." Quinn panted more to herself than to Rachel.

They heard footsteps tracking behind and Rachel turned her head to look. She let out a squeal when she saw David barreling towards them gun aimed forward. He wasn't close enough that they need to speed up, which was impossible for them at this moment since this was as fast as they both could go. He looked like a maniac which, when she thought about it, he probably was.

They were like two more steps when a shot rang out.

A sharp stab of pain ripped through her left shoulder and Quinn's legs involuntarily buckled, leaving her to plummet head first down the stairs. Luckily she had the sense to let go of Rachel's hand first so she didn't take the other girl down with her.

"OH MY GOD QUINN!" Rachel screeched rushing down the steps to get to the other girl.

Quinn lay sprawled out at the base of the stairs every part of her body aching with pain. Her shoulder more so than the rest. She felt Rachel lean down in front of her and check for her pulse, said she would have died from that. when the girl found one she tried to lift Quinn to her feet.

"Quinn come on please! He's right behind us!" She said arms tucked under Quinn's , then she felt something sticky and wet and she pulled back only then noticing the blood that now covered her right hand. _Quinn had been shot. _

"Oh no, Quinn." She breathed out. "Quinn, please get up you need an ambulance!"

Quinn groaned in pain as the other girl tugged her to her feet, accidentally hitting her wound once or twice. Once she was on her feet Rachel wasted no time taking the other girls hand and leading her to the nearest classroom.

When in there Rachel let go of her hand leaving Quinn to stand still swaying slightly on the spot as the room seemed to spin, she gripped the table behind her for support. Rachel tried the first window cursing loudly when it was locked. She ran to the next one using all her strength.

Again locked.

She ran over to the third one and sent a prayer up hoping this one would open.

She pulled and struggled for a few second before it finally gave way. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and locked the window in place before running back to Quinn.

Taking the blondes hand who was two shades paler than before , she lead her over to the window. She held on to Quinn's waist to support her while she was going to climb out. But Quinn stood rooted to the spot shaking her head.

"Quinn, hurry up and climb out." But still Quinn shook her head.

"No." She muttered her eyes out of focus as she swayed gently.

"What do you mean no!?" Her eyes were darting between the closed door and Quinn. _Had they lost him? _

"You first." She said her words slightly slurred. By now her blood was running down her back and dripping on to the floor. Rachel noticed.

"Quinn, your wasting time! Go now!"

She couldn't leave Quinn in here on her own the girl looked close to passing out and if she did Rachel wouldn't be able to jump back inside to get her.

The blonde was still softly shaking her head so Rachel sighed and pushed her towards the window herself. Quinn didn't have the energy to fight.

Gripping the back of Quinn's thigh, keeping the other hand on the girls waist, she lifted the blondes leg over so that she was now straddling the window sill. Then she moved on to the other one, taking a split second to marvel how soft the other girls skin was, before quickly lifting it over.

Once both legs were hanging on the other side she told her to jump but kept her hands on the girls waist her front almost flush against the blondes back. Eyeing the still heavily bleeding wound on the girls shoulder.

Quinn on the other hand had a different idea as she turned her head catching Rachel's mouth in a soft kiss. Rachel's eyebrows shot up in surprise but she didn't push Quinn away. The kiss was short and just a brush of there lips but both girls felt there stomachs tingle and there heart beat speed up. Rachel however didn't even have time to kiss back before Quinn had turned her head round and jumped out of the window.

Rachel opened her eyes that she didn't even remember closing and hung her head out the window where Quinn lay on the ground.

"Quinn are you ok?"

"M'fine." She said attempting to sit up.

Rachel sighed. _Quinn was dazed and confused of corse she hadn't meant to kiss her. The cheerleader still probably hated her for all she knew. But no that doesn't explain why she said she came back for her?_

She really needed to speak with Quinn preferably when the girl was in a clear state of mind.

She shook her head to her self and lifted her leg up to the window.

the door of the classroom slammed open, the sound reverberating of the walls. Making Rachel halt her movements. Her breathing growing shallow as slow footsteps came closer and closer until they came to a stop about a meter away from her.

"You really thought you could get away?" He said through gritted teeth. He had, had enough of this girl he was going to end it now. "You don't fucking get to live! You don't get to be happy !"

Rachel gulped down her suddenly tight throat and turned her head to look at him.

He now sported a nasty looking cut on his forehead and didn't make an attempt to wipe the blood that trickled down his face. It made him look like even more of a crazed killer. _She didn't even want to ask how he got it_.

"Forget taking it slow, I'm not taking any more chances your going to fucking die!" He shouted lifting the gun and aiming it at her head.

He loaded the gun finger ready at the trigger when the door burst open once again.

Several men in black ran in taking positions all guns pointed towards them.

"DROP YOUR WEAPON!" One of the men shouted gun aiming at David. Another man lifted the radio on his chest to his mouth. "_We have located the shooter._" Was all she caught before the first man started shouting again.

"DROP YOUR WEAPON!"

Karofskys eyes flittered around the room from Rachel to the S.W.A.T team to his gun before landing on Rachel again. His jaw clenched and angry tears sprung to his eyes.

"No this isn't fair! You don't deserve to live!" He screamed pointing his gun,that must have lowered when the swat team came in, back at Rachel's face. Rachel turned her head on instinct not wanting to stare down the barrel of a gun. Her eyes now directed out the window. She looked down.

Quinn was gone.

A small patch of blood covered the grass were she lay but other than that there was no signs of her.

"DROP YOU WAEPON NOW OR WE ARE FORCED TO SHOOT!" One of the S.W.A.T team members shouted but David ignored him his head shaking frantically.

"Fucking die berry!" He screamed.

A shot rang out.

**A/N sorry if this was bad but I don't plan anything I just go with it as I write, I literally just decided he was the killer in this chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N so here's the last chapter I really hope you enjoy it. **

* * *

_A shot rang out. _

And the dull thump of a body hitting the floor was heard.

Followed by silence.

Then the noise of the S.W.A.T team rushing forwards and the guy on the radio speaking again sounded through the room.

"_The shooter is down_."

Rachel turned her head around and saw David's lifeless body laying on the floor the gun hanging loosely in his hand. The gun that had taken lives, lives of the people who she knew and cared for. It baffled her how one tiny piece of metal could end something as big as a life.

After she'd heard the gun shot her eyes had instinctively squeezed shut and she waited for the inevitable piercing of the bullet to tear through her skin. It didn't come.

She stood there looking at the S.W.A.T team rushing towards the boy on the floor, one of the men shouting things through the radio, one still pointing the gun at David, even though everybody in the room knew he was dead. No one survives a bullet through the brain. She barely registered one of the men taking hold of her arm and leading her out of the classroom.

"It's going to be ok, your ok now." He said reassuringly, in a way that suggested he'd done this before.

She knew she was ok now but her mind was going a million miles a minute. Questions, so many questions. _Where was Quinn? Is she alive? Where's this man taking her? Is everybody still outside? How is she going to break the news to mrs. Puckerman? How's Kurt's dad going to react? He'd already lost his wife._

Her head started to spin.

Her mind picturing everybody's different expressions to the news. The news she may have to break.

Her legs felt weak and for the second time today she found herself falling to the floor and blacking out.

* * *

Quinn awoke her vision blurred. The sound of repetitive beeping was the only thing she could hear in the silence.

She blinked slowly a few times to clear her eyesight and she fathomed that she was in fact staring at a white ceiling.

looking around the room further and gathered she was in a hospital and that annoying beeping sound was in fact her heart monitor.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head back trying to recollect how she got hear.

_Ok so she was shot in the shoulder, she definitely remembers that. Then she was in a classroom and Rachel was lifting her out the window, yes and then... Oh god- did she. Yep she did. she kissed Rachel. Great. Well done Quinn. Fan-fucking-tastic. Don't warn her or anything just go ahead and plant one on her. She could just blame it on her dazed state of mind. Yeah. _

She tried to ignore the pang in her heart when she remembered Rachel didn't kiss her back.

_Right carrying on, she was on her back laying on the grass, trying really, really hard to stand up. She did finally stand up yes, then.. Then there was a man. A police man, who saw her. She was sure she heard karofsky shouting in the classroom and She ran, or rather stumbled, over to him and managed to tell him where karofsky was and she was sure she said something about Rachel then she got really dizzy and she doesn't really remember anything else after guessed she must have blacked out at that point. _

Hang on.

Karofsky.

Rachel.

In the same classroom.

The heart monitor next to her increased swiftly.

She needed to find Rachel. _Again_.

Flipping the covers off of her she swung both legs of the side of the bed pushing past the agonising pain in her shoulder at the movement. She then un clipped the thing attached to the end of her finger and ripped out the tube in her arm, ignoring the slight sting and stood up.

Immediately the room spun, she gripped the table next to her for support and took deep breaths closing her eyes. Her legs felt weak and she could no longer ignore the throbbing pain in her shoulder.

She jumped and let out a shriek when a warm hand was placed on her arm.

"Lay back down sweetie."

Quinn's eyes snapped open and she locked on to the kind blue eyes of the nurse in front of her. She hadn't heard her come in. She looked the women over. She was old, looked to be around sixty, her greying hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she wore faded purple scrubs.

"You need to rest." She said in a soft calming voice, that reminded Quinn very much of her grandma. It was comforting, in a way.

"No. No I have to find Rachel. I need-I need to see her." She protested, trying to fight against the old woman's arms that were guiding her back to the bed.

"You need to rest, you lost a lot of blood miss Fabray."

Quinn wasn't strong enough to fight against the nurse so she let herself be steered backwards.

Laying back down, Quinn watched the nurse flit about, re attaching the tube to her arm and the clip to her the end of her finger.

"Is Rachel ok?" Quinn asked the old woman with desperate eyes.

The nurse turned around and furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry sweetie but I don't know who Rachel is." She sounded genuinely apologetic.

"She's got brown hair she's around 5"2 wears a lot of argyle and really really short skirts.." She carried on listing everything she could think of to describe Rachel, which was a lot, and she would of kept going to, had the woman not stopped her.

"I think I know who your talking about, little girl big voice right?" She asked knowingly and Quinn nodded rapidly feeling relief spread through her body. This woman couldn't know she had a big voice unless she's spoke to Rachel right, so she must be alive. _She has to be. _

"Yeah miss berry. That girls been at your side since she woke up, I'm actually surprised she's not here right now. Though I'm sure she's somewhere around."

Quinn's heart monitor sped up again at the news, making her blush and avert her eyes when the nurse gave her an amused look.

"QUINN!" Shouted a voice from the doorway and the two occupants of the room turned the head in the direction of the sound.

_And speak of the devil. _

"Oh thank god your awake! I was so worried Quinn." She said rushing over to Quinns side and immediately taking the blondes hand in hers.

Both girls felt their skin prickle at the contact and Quinn's heart monitor beeped hastily once again, seeming twice as loud for some reason, making her already hot face burn further.

She tore the clip of the end of her finger for a second time and glared at it, promptly ignoring the stifled giggling coming from the other two people.

"Well miss Fabray I'll go let the doctor know your awake." The nurse said giving an amused smile to the flustered blonde before walking out the room.

Neither girl spoke first, Quinn still glaring at the object currently lying in her bed and Rachel staring at their joined hands wondering why Quinn hadn't pushed her away yet.

Silence.

"David's dead." Rachel blurted out when the silence started to get uncomfortable.

Quinn snapped her head toward Rachel making eye contact and raised her signature eyebrow. Her cheeks starting to cool down.

She felt no sympathy for the boy, he deserved what he got. She did however feel sympathy for his family. They would have to move town and probably change their names after what their son did.

_How could a person be so selfish so...Fucked up_. She really never saw it coming.

"Yeah, they um the S.W.A.T team, they shot him." She carried on, trying to fill the silence.

She hummed in response. And they both fell silent again for a moment before Rachel spoke up remembering something.

"Where did you go?"

Quinn furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"You were outside the window, laying on the grass. Then when David came in I um- you, you were gone.."

The blondes eyebrows relaxed in understanding.

"Oh right yeah, I- well there was a police man and I was trying to stand up, which is a surprisingly hard task. I thought I heard karofsky In the classroom. With you. So I told the police man where he was then I sort of blacked out. I don't know everything's really hazy." She said looking away form the other girl and rubbing her forehead.

Rachel nodded. Everything was hazy for her too. It didn't seem real that this had happened. _All the events sort of blurred, all except the kiss. _The brunette wanted to ask about it, she really did, but Quinn was being civil with her. When they weren't currently in a life threatening situation and she was in a clear state of mind. She didn't want to ruin it. That conversation could wait. For now.

"Quinn." She said trying to get the other girls attention.

The blonde took a deep breath and once again met chestnut eyes that held so many emotions.

"I never got to thank you. For saving me I never- I would have." She inhaled a shaky breath. " I would have, _died_. Had you not been there I would've died Quinn. you risked your life for me, which I'm still really confused about but oh so thankful for." Her eyes started to well with unshed tears. "Noah he.. He d-died trying to protect me. He shouldn't have! I tried, i tried to stop him! I really did. He risked his life for me and he died! You could've died! And- an I..I can't- I"

All her words, all her pent up emotion was coming out at once, all jumbling up. Her breath was coming out in short ragged puffs and she hadn't even realised she was sobbing, until she felt the soft pad of Quinn's thumb brush at her tear stained cheeks.

"Hey, hey. It's ok. Rachel, please don't cry."

Quinn's voice shook slightly, the brunette looked so distraught it was heartbreaking. She hadn't known puck died trying to save Rachel. She didn't really know what to think about that.

"Come sit here." She said moving over making space on her bed for Rachel to sit. But the small girl didn't hear her over her cries.

Quinn let go of the other girls hand to help lift her on to the bed.

Once she was up the blonde wrapped both arms around the smaller girl and held her close rocking her gently.

"Shhh, it's going to be ok. Rach, he can't hurt you now. Shhh."

Without thinking she place a kiss on the girls temple and carried on whispering comforting words into her ear.

Until Rachel's cries turned into whimpers and then the whimpers turned into short shaky breaths.

"You ok now?" Quinn mumbled into the girls hair.

She felt the brunette nod against her chest so she pulled back to look into the other girls teary brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, I just- this day has, it's been-" she stumbled over her words again so Quinn cut her off.

"Yeah I know. But your ok now, and so am I. Just focus on that. Alright?"

"Yeah ok."

The blonde felt Rachel snuggle further into her side and she released a content sigh. Her arms tightened around the petite body in a reassuring manner and before they knew it they had both drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"_They look kinda cute. We should let them sleep."_

"_Did you really just use the word cute in reference to the hobbit_."

Quinn stirred when she was pulled from her sleep by two very familiar voices.

"_Yeah, do you think we should take a picture?_"

Quinn's eyes snapped open and locked on to those bright blue eyes of her best friends.

"Oh look Britt its awake." Santana drawled out from her place next to Brittany in the chair.

Quinn's eyes flicked towards the Latina.

_She's alive and ok and..acting very normal for someone who almost died_.

She felt tears treating to spill from her eyes. Her best friend almost died. Quinn's gaze traveled to her leg that was currently wrapped tightly in a bandage and then to the crutches that were propped against her chair. _It could have been so much worse.._

"Santana.." She breathed out just like she did when she found her limp in Brittany's arms.

Santana's eyes widened, not use to Quinn being so open with her emotions. But with all that went on she shouldn't be surprised. She bit her lip in thought.

"Hey B, would you go get me a coffee from the cafeteria?" She asked sweetly.

Sensing her and Quinn were going to have one of 'those' talks she didn't want Britt to witness it.

They were both the type of girls who kept their guard up and there emotions locked away, buried so far down that sometimes they forgot they had any at all. But sometimes they would make a reappearance. it was rare but when it happened they got really emotional and forgot about their bitchy façade and the competing, and poured there heart out telling each other there deepest fears. Quinn was the first person Santana told when she found out she was gay. Santana was the first person Quinn told when she realised she didn't feel the same way about boys the way all the other girls did. It's really what made them so close after all the fighting and afterwards, after the emotional conversation they would go back to there normal guarded selves pretending it never happened. Though both of them would feel the weight easing of their shoulders.

"Yeah sure." She said knowingly, before kissing her girlfriend chastely on the lips. Then she bounced over to Quinn and pecked her on the forehead.

"I'm so glad you and Rachel are ok Q." Then she skipped out of the door.

Quinn was happy to see the light in her eyes was slowly coming back. It was a start.

Once the door was closed she looked back to her other best friend who's eyes where trained on something next to Quinn.

"So..you and berry huh? Didn't think you had it in you." She sounded surprised and maybe a little bit proud.

Quinn frowned before only then noticing the warmth pressing into her side. She dropped her gaze to the small body still sound asleep, head resting underneath her chin.

"We're not. I'm- it's not like that. She doesn't even.." She rushed out her words in reflex to deny everything, her eyes wide in panic.

"Q. Hey relax." She listened to Santana's uncharacteristically soft voice and took some calming breaths.

"She doesn't like me like that. Why would she? I've been nothing but horrible to her. She's not even gay, she's all hung up on Finn Hudson." She spat the name with disgust and jealously.

Who'd ever thought she'd be jealous of _Finn Hudson_.

"I..." She started and dragged her eyes up to meet her Latina friend. "I kissed her." She whispered.

Santana stayed quite head tilted as she listened to her friend.

She honestly never thought Quinn would have the balls to tell the midget she liked her, let alone kiss her. But life or death situations change the rules. She told Brittany she loved her after all, even though all through her teenage life she told the blonde their sex meant nothing.

"And she didn't kiss me back." A single tear ran down her cheek and dropped onto the brunette head resting on her chest.

Santana pursed her lips In thought before heaving a breath, picking up her crutches and hobbling over to the seat next to the bed.

She wiped away Quinn's tears and held the blondes face in her hands so that she had no choice but to look at Santana.

"Look Q, I don't know how berry feels about you. But I'm sure that if she hated you she wouldn't be volenterally cuddled into your side."

She dropped her her hands from Quinn's face in exchange for holding the blondes free hand, that wasn't currently wrapped around Rachel.

"She probably just feels like she owes me for saving her or something." Quinn mumbled

Santana sighed. "You can sit here and make up excuses all day Quinn, Or you can actually talk to the hobbit when she wakes up and sort this mess out."

"Don't call her that."

"What hobbit?"

"Yes."

"You've called her much worse Q."

Quinn looked down ashamed. "_Do you ever think she'll forgive me for that_." It was so quite and vulnerable that Santana had to strain to hear it.

"I think that, if you explain why you did it. Maybe she could."

They both fell into a comfortable silence deep in thought for a few minutes. Then Quinn spoke, though her eyes stayed distant.

"I was so scared."

Santana furrowed her eyebrows .

" well yeah so was I, it is scary Quinn. I went so long telling myself I wasn't gay. I couldn't be-"

"No, not that."

The Latina looked over at her confused. "Then what are you talking about?"

Quinn pulled her self back into reality and stared deeply into Santana eyes.

"When, when I opened the door. I thought it was Rachel. Brittany she was-I've never saw her cry like that-she..she said 'she won't wake up Quinn'" the blonde inhaled shakily her eyes becoming shiny. " I-I looked down. She had your body cradled in her arms. I thought you had died. I t-thought-" she broke down. Her chest heaving choked sobs.

Santana sat there her own tears starting to form and her hand being gripped almost painfully by the blonde.

"You- I don't know what I would've done if- if you died." She managed to get out between her cries.

"But I didn't. Q look at me I'm here look. I'm fine look, and so are you."

Quinn nodded but didn't stop crying her mind running wild with pictures of her best friends dead body, her funeral.

"You had me scared too Quinn. _So scared_. When I woke up in the back of an ambulance B explained what had happened. I swear to god Quinn if I had, had any strength I would have jumped out the back of that van and kicked your ass! How could you have been so stupid!? You could've died going back in there Quinn."

Their anger and sadness and everything was coming out. Both girls had tears flowing freely down there cheeks as they let out there bottled up emotion.

"I went back for Rachel."

"You could've have died!"

"Wouldn't you have done it!? If it was Brittany wouldn't you have went back in?"

"In a heartbeat." Santana replied without hesitation. "But you can not compare you and berry to me and Brittany. That is not the same."

"Why. "

"Because I _love_ Brittany!"

Quinn carried on staring at her an eyebrow raised. Santana stared back incredulously.

"You can't be serious. _Are you serious?_ Your in love with frodo!?"

"Don't call her that!"

"But are you?" She asked ignoring the blondes comment.

Quinn took a deep breath and bit her lip"...I don't know. I think I might be. You can't like someone for two years and call it just a crush."

Santana sat back in shock. "Woah."

"Yeah."

They both fell into silence once again deep in thought. Then a voice startled them.

"_Is it true?_"

Both Quinn and Santana's heads snapped towards the small voice.

"Shit." Santana whispered. But everyone heard it in the silence of the room.

Quinn froze looking at Rachel with wide panicked eyes her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Is it, is what you just said true? Do you-do you love me Quinn?"

Quinn stayed silent her mouth snapping shut and her eyes unblinking directed at her lap.

Tension filled the room.

Silence.

Quinn had averted her eyes in favour for staring at the bed sheets, Santana sat Keyes flicking between the two girls and Rachel was staring at Quinn waiting for an answer.

"_Well_...I'm gonna go find Britts, cause this shit just got awkward. " Santana drawled out before squeezing Quinn's hand one last time then hobbling out of the room quickly, well as quickly as she could using crutches. Leaving the two girls alone.

"Quinn?"

"Quinn please look at me." She begged needing the blonde to at least acknowledge she was there.

Slowly Quinn directed her gaze towards the small girl though refused to look at her eyes.

"Is it true?" She asked again desperately.

"How, how much did you hear?" Quinn asked avoiding the question.

"Enough. Quinn please answer me. Are you in love with me?" Her eyes scanning over the blondes face for any sign of an answer.

Ever so hesitantly, Quinn nodded her head and Rachel let out a breath of air.

"Look I know you don't feel the same way. So you can just forget that this-" she was cut off when Rachel crashed their lips together in a desperate kiss.

Quinn was startled for a minute before she eagerly reciprocated, loving the soft feeling of Rachel's lips pressed against hers. She bit back a moan when the brunette swiped a tongue over the seam of her lips. Quinn opened her mouth and there tongues battled and brushed up against each other. The blonde held tightly on to Rachel's waist as there kiss got more heated.

They both pulled back before they went to far.

Rachel's lips were puffy and her eyes still half closed Quinn was certain she was sporting the same look.

"That was.."

"Yeah.."

They both smiled shyly at each other before Rachel's spoke up.

"So what does this mean?"

Quinn bit her lip Her smile falling "I'm not ready to like come out or anything. I just- i cant do that. Not yet" She rushed out in minor panic.

"Yeah no I know, me either. " Rachel replied.

Quinn looked at her "So you are then?"

"Are what?"

".._gay_?"

Rachel's laugh echoed off the walls and Quinn looked at her confused, _why was she laughing. _

"I thought you'd have figured that out by the kiss we just had." She said still smiling.

Quinn blushed "Right yeah."

"_So_..you didn't answer my question." Rachel reminded her.

The blonde sighed thinking carefully off her answer. "It can mean whatever you wan it to."

Rachel pursed her lips in thought. "I don't know. I mean Im in love with you Quinn. I have been for a while, but I just... It's going to be hard to trust you after all you've put me through. But I heard what you said to Santana that you have your reasons for it, and while I think that nothing would justify bullying, I will listen to you and try to understand."

Quinn looked down ashamed but nodded none the less.

"And as for forgiving you. I already have. You came back and you risked your life for me Quinn. That means so much more than the years of bullying."

"I love you Quinn. And I think we should take it slow. I'm still dealing with everything that happened as I'm sure you are as well. I'm just still so in shock of it all. I don't think its actually sunk in yet."

Quinn nodded taking Rachel's hand in hers.

" it'll be hard Rach, but know that I love you too. And I'm here for you ok?"

With that she leaned back in and pecked Rachel on the cheek.

It would be hard for both of them. This is a day in there lives neither would forget. Walking through the halls of Mckinley would never be the same. Seeing The devastated families of the kids that died would hurt so bad especially knowing that they survived when others didn't. But if they looked on the positive side, they got each other out of all this and if it hadn't of happened they both would've gone through high school burying there feelings until they graduated and never saw each other again. That was what they had to focus on.

**A/N I really apologise about that ending but I needed to wrap this story up cause school has started again and if I didn't finish it now I never would. **

**For my next story I'm thinking of doing a Faberry zombie apocalypse, would you read it, let me know what you think? **


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